FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEBREVARD COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATIONSaturday, October 27, 2012

STRONG START NOT ENOUGH FOR BC

Brevard, N.C.- The Brevard College Tornados lost a hard-fought football game 35-19 to the Carson-Newman Eagles at Brevard Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Tornados defense made a statement early against a Carson-Newman offense that leads the South Atlantic Conference in scoring this season, averaging 38.6 points per game. BC’s Devon Holmes forced and then recovered a Brandon Baker fumble at Brevard’s 31-yard line on the Eagles first drive of the game.

Andre Overholt then busted a 69-yard touchdown run up the right sideline on Brevard’s first play from scrimmage to make it 7-0 Tornados. Freshman quarterback Jaquan Marsh was able to get the pitch into the hands of Overholt as he was wrapped up by a Carson-Newman defender.

On their ensuing drive, the Eagles drove the ball 65 yards down to the Tornados 8-yard line. After a tackle for a three-yard loss by Gus Dukuly, a pair of rushes put the Eagles inside the 1-yard line on 4th down. Carson-Newman went for it, but BC controlled the line of scrimmage and Michael Gruber stuffed a Brandon Haywood quarterback sneak attempt to turn the Eagles over on downs at 7:33 in the first quarter.

The rest of the first quarter would play scoreless, and BC’s Ben Noboa missed a 29-yard field goal on Brevard’s first drive of the second quarter.

Taking over at their own 20-yard line, Carson-Newman used only four plays to drive 80 yards for the score to make it 7-7. It was Haywood who found the end zone on a 36-yard touchdown rush to cap the drive with 8:32 remaining in the half.

The game went into the half with the score tied 7-7, but the Eagles would strike first in the 3rd quarter to make it 14-7 Carson-Newman.

After a three-and-out to open the half for Brevard, the Eagles moved the ball 52 yards on 13 plays to go up a touchdown on a Baker three-yard touchdown rush.

The Tornados couldn’t move the ball on their next possession, and were forced to punt. The Eagles capitalized with a 48-yard touchdown pass from Haywood to Jason Brown to take a 21-7 lead with 1:15 remaining in the 3rd quarter.

The Tornados made it an eight-point game with a Marsh six-yard touchdown run at 12:48 in the 4th quarter, but Bradley Newton’s extra point missed wide right.

Haywood and Baker each rushed for touchdowns in the 4th quarter to put the game out of reach for Brevard. Haywood finished with 132 yards and two touchdowns on the ground while passing for 138 yards and a touchdown. Jordan Ollis scored a rushing touchdown with 1:18 left in the game make the score 35-19. Ollis led BC’s ground game with 132 yard on 17 carries, followed by Overholt’s ten carries for 125 yards.

Carson-Newman head coach Ken Sparks picked up career win number 305, tying Frosty Westering for ninth place on college football’s all-time wins list. Westering coached at Parson College and Lea College in the 1960’s and early 1970’s before taking over the reins of the football program at Pacific Lutheran University from 1972-2003.

Brevard looks to turn their luck around as they visit the Catawba College Indians for their final road game of the season on Saturday, November 3rd. Kickoff from Shuford Stadium is set for 1:30 p.m.